The end of OpenAI, and other 2026 predictions | The Vergecast

Quick Overview

The Vergecast hosts David Pierce, Joanna Stern, and Neil Patel made their 2026 predictions after reviewing their largely incorrect 2025 predictions, with Joanna predicting an Apple foldable launch that faces media backlash over price, David predicting a small comeback for EV sales, Neil predicting backlash forcing social platforms to label AI slop, and the spiciest takes including Neil predicting OpenAI fails and Joanna predicting the updated Siri becomes amazingly good, leading to people falling in love with it.

Key Points: Joanna Stern's mild 2026 prediction is that Apple releases a foldable phone, leading to media and fan freakout over its high price, likely between $1799 and $1999, but it will be an early adopter hit with no clear use case. David Pierce predicts a small comeback for electric vehicle (EV) sales in 2026, arguing that the market overreacted to the sales cratering after everyone rushed to buy before the EV tax credit expired, and cheaper cars like a $29,000 Bolt will help. Neil Patel's medium prediction is that backlash against AI slop on social platforms will force platforms like Instagram and YouTube to label AI-generated content and allow users to filter it out. David Pierce's mild prediction is that GTA 6 will be a monstrous economic and cultural hit, becoming a cultural touchstone like Fortnite, which will cause everyone on Earth to disappear into it for a month. Neil Patel's spiciest take is that OpenAI fails in its current configuration, citing a lack of articulated product strategy, running up costs on every query, and the age of scaling being over according to co-founder Ilia Sutskever. Joanna Stern's spiciest take is that the updated Siri becomes amazing and so good that people start falling in love with it, potentially leading to romantic relationships and sex with the voice assistant. The hosts agreed that Matter technology is now default for supported smart home devices, meaning David Pierce was wrong in predicting people would give up on it in 2025.